E-Mail IMAGE: Mitoribosomes are tethered to the mitochondrial inner membrane to facilitate insertion of synthesized proteins (yellow) encoded by the mitochondrial genome. A gating mechanism of the exit tunnel (cyan) enables protein... view more Credit: Dan W. Nowakowski and Alexey Amunts Mitochondria are organelles that act as the powerhouses in our body. They use oxygen which we inhale and food we eat to produce energy that supports our life. This molecular activity is performed by bioenergetic nano-factories incorporated in specialized mitochondrial membranes. The nano-factories consist of proteins cooperatively transporting ions and electrons to generate chemical energy. Those have to be constantly maintained, replaced and duplicated during cell division. To address this, mitochondria have their own bioenergy protein-making machine called the mitoribosome. Given its key role, a deregulation of the mitoribosome can lead to medical disorders such as deafness and diseases including cancer development. The first fundamental understanding of how mitoribosomes look was achieved in 2014.